Aboriginal Health Research Strategy
Aboriginal Health Research Strategy
The University of Newcastle has launched a strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research for the Hunter, New England and Central Coast Regions.
The new strategy will ensure that health benefits promised by researchers are implemented back into our communities. The purpose of this innovative strategy is to ensure our mob have a say on who, what and where research is conducted, how we use it and store it.
All research projects conducted by and through the University of Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute, and our local health districts must be approved by the Wukul Yabang Aboriginal Health Research Community Panel before commencement. Wukul Yabang comprises of a diverse group of local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders with expertise to provide essential cultural and community oversight to all research conducted. This will ensure research is ethically sound, culturally appropriate, locally relevant and has real potential to benefit the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
The strategy will provide a vehicle to empower local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to lead and participate in Health Research. It will flip the power dynamic in existing research and ensure power (research direction and topics, funds and decision making) will be held by Indigenous peoples.
The panel considers applications relating to research that may affect the health and well-being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
The project should involve research in, or concerning, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people living in the Hunter/New England region.
An application should be made for research for which any one of the following applies:
- The experience of Aboriginal people is an explicit focus of all or part of the research;
- Data collection is explicitly directed at Aboriginal peoples;
- Aboriginal peoples, as a group, are to be examined in the results;
- The information has an impact on one or more Aboriginal communities;
- Aboriginal health funds are a source of funding.
As per AH&MRC (Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW) requirements.
Please email AHR@newcastle.edu.au to request an application form.
All applications must be received by 11:59pm on the closing date
| Meeting date | Application deadline |
|---|---|
| 27 Mar 2026 | 16 Mar 2026 |
| 24 April 2026 | 13 Apr 2026 |
| 29 May 2026 | 18 May 2026 |
| 26 Jun 2026 | 15 Jun 2026 |
| 31 Jul 2026 | 20 Jul 2026 |
| 28 Aug 2026 | 17 Aug 2026 |
| 25 Sep 2026 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| 30 Oct 2026 | 19 Oct 2026 |
| 27 Nov 2026 | 16 Nov 2026 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and research are a whole of university commitment - it is everyone’s responsibility.
This strategy is an on-going collaboration and will constantly evolve to reflect our community needs. It is subject to change.
‘Research Our Way’ – Aboriginal Health Research Strategy
Community members and top medical bodies across the Hunter and New England regions have joined forces in a powerful bid to improve First Nations health outcomes. ‘Research Our Way’ – a collaborative strategy between the University of Newcastle, Awabakal Limited, the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and the Hunter New England Local Health District – aims to set a new standard for the national tertiary sector. The purpose is to ensure our mob have a say on who, what and where research is conducted, how we use it and store it.
For enquiries please contact
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.